While with Seattle last year, Young was 1-0 with a 1.33 ERA against the Royals in two starts. He beat the Royals 3-1, allowing three hits in eight innings on May 10 at Seattle; and he got a no-decision in a 2-1 victory at Kauffman Stadium on June 21, working seven innings and allowing three hits and a run.

The Royals had difficulty locking into the delivery from Young’s 6-foot-10 frame, calling his pitches the “Invisiball.”

“We could not touch this guy,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “If you look at his pure stuff, there’s nothing flashy about it, but nobody can hit him. Nobody can see it. It wasn’t stuff, you’re saying, ‘That’s nasty.’

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“He’s got that super deception and he’s got like the lowest batting average against (.226) … guys just don’t see the ball. And you’re standing there as a manager, saying, ‘Boys, come on.’ Every time we faced him, he absolutely shut us down.”